Ashes to Beauty

By Jacelyn Serrano

Ashes to Beauty leans into a part of life that many will find difficult to face, but it does so with courage and hope. The author, Jacelyn Serrano, survived twenty years of abuse, mostly during her childhood, at the hands of relatives. As she grew up, she became promiscuous, rebellious, and bitter. But God did not abandon her.
The chapters in Ashes to Beauty offer personal accounts of times of abuse and mistreatment, reflections that draw the hope and inspiration of the Scriptures into conversation with pain and injury, prayers that turn to God for sustenance and healing, and power tools—passages from the Bible that speak words of hope.
Whether you have endured experiences like the ones that appear in the pages of Ashes to Beauty or you know someone who struggles with a legacy of injury from abuse, the deeply moving words of grace and healing that flow from Ashes to Beauty can help you to find the path to recovery and restoration.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Jun 9, 2016
• ISBN: 9781483451107

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Copyright © 2016 Jacelyn Serrano.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means---whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic---without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Good News Translation® (Today's English Version, Second Edition) Copyright © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-5111-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-5110-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016906761

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 05/13/2016

Contents

Sexual Abuse

Abandonment

Rejection. Failure. Discouragement.

Domestic Violence

Understanding Attachment Styles

Redemption

Confession

Dedication

My pastor, spiritual mom and best friend Natalia is a true Woman of God. Her love for God, her work for God, and the Word of God have inspired many women, including myself. Not everyone has a pastor or mentor after God's own heart. I have been blessed with the opportunity to study God's Word, fellowship, and minister to others with her. She has lifted my arms when I felt too weary to lift them myself. She has been a role model and overall covering over my life since my youth and now my daughter's life. I thank God for blessing my life with her, but most of all for saving her and using her to be a light for others.

I also dedicate this book to my daughter, who from the moment of learning about her creation has been my determination to turn my life around to provide her a strong foundation in God. My desire is for her to witness the goodness of God and to see that through Him, we can do all things no matter how big of a mountain. Mommy loves you so much princess.

Acknowledgments

This book could not be written without the inspiration of my pastors and spiritual parents, Clarence and Natalia who both have been blessings in my life. They have encouraged me and helped me expand my boundaries to grow to become the very best person that I can become from the inside out.

I want to thank my father and mother, for praying for me and asking God to intervene in my life. I love you.

Foreword

But God ...

Natalia Mojica, Pastor

Rise Up Ministries International

Sexual Abuse

I was four years old. My siblings and I were sleeping on the living room floor. I remember there being a heating device warming us up. I imagined it as being my very own fireplace. As I slept, I felt a cool breeze against my body,